My Spirit Soars Free
by matrixfreak
Summary: The movie was so sad with him dying, that I made another part to make it sound better. Read--and find out! Please R/R!
1. Default Chapter

The dead gladiator Maximus lay dead on the soiled ground, while his crestfallen fans sighed with disapointment. Another good man dead. "You're free," the lovely Lucilla said to his closed eyes. And indeed he was . . .  
  
. . . Maximus walked through the field, feeling the grass blades against his feet. He heard a child's laughter, and, squintinghis eyes, he saw a son and his mother. And soon he realized that he was dead and was staring at his wife and son--in the afterlife.  
  
Â Â Â Â  The woman turned in his direction, shading her glittering green eyes from the hot rays of the sun. And down the road she saw who she and her son had been waiting for since the moment they appeared in the afterlife. "Maximus," she murmured dreamily, not believing it. He began to run towards her, picking up speed with each step. They they locked into a tight embrace, his wife weeping joyfully.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "Papa!" his son yelled, running as fast as his little, stubby legs could carry him to his father. Maximus gently let go ofhis wife and took his son in his broad, strong arms.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "All these weeks and months," his wife breathed. "We knew it would take many, many years for you to join us together, united at last."  
  
Â Â Â Â  Maximus kissed his wife and smiled at his giggling son who was sqealing around excitedly. "It doesn't matter now," he declared boldly. "I'm home at last."  
  
Â Â Â Â  "What caused your death so quickly?" the wife inquired.  
  
Â Â Â Â  Maximus sighed and put his son down. "Commodus was named Emperor after Marcus died. I was made a slave and had to live by killing for the amusement of others . . . I was a gladiator, and at my last battle . . . I was engaged in combat with Commodus. I killed him, but I fell from a brutal stab from him before we fought. I died then. . . ." His deep voice trailed off. His wife looked down at the ground and shared the same pain with Maximus as she and her son had experienced.  
  
Â Â Â Â  Maximus suddenly knew what she was thinking, and held her in his arms. "It's all right now. We are together and that's the only thing that matters." He stroked her ebony hair and sighed happily. The sun began to go down, and it began to get dark.Â "Let's go inside," he urged her. "It's getting late and chilly." Then, with their arms around each other, and their son at Maximus' side, they slowly walked back to their countryside Spanish home. 


	2. 2.

My Spirit Soars Free  
  
2nd chapter  
  
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Maximus fell asleep in his bed after they had their meal. He dreamed mortally and thought about Lucilla and her last kind words to him while he laid in her arms, breathing in the last shoots of air. . . .  
  
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He awoke the next day. His eyes were still closed, and he listened for the familiar sounds of Juba yelling at the top of his lungs for him to wake up . . . But instead . . . he heard nothing.  
  
Â Â Â Â  Very soon he felt gentle lips on his cheek. He squinted open his eyes and saw his beaming wife. He sighed.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "Can't I sleep a little longer?" he moaned tiredly.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "No, Maximus," she said softly. "I have something to show you. It's very important." Her face was serious.  
  
Â Â Â Â  ". . . All right. Let me get dressed."  
  
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Maximus met her outside. He took her soft, fragile hand into his hard, calloused one.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "Show me," he whispered.  
  
Â Â Â Â  His wife nodded and led him through the wheatÂ field, not even bothering to swat the mosquitoes. They walked deeper into theÂ field until theÂ wheat disappeared and a tall, oak tree stood in front of them.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "W-what is it?" he made out.  
  
Â Â Â Â  His wife smiles and let go of his hand to walk to the tree. Pointing to it, she said, "Maximus . . . you neverÂ had a chance to live a true life . . . So I have foundÂ a way for you to return to earth, mortal again, as if you came back from the dead." She said a few silent words, then the tree and everything disappeared . . . and a doorway appeared.  
  
Â Â Â Â  Maximus peered inside, and, before his eyes, he saw Quintis and Graachus holding his body. Lucilla stood away, watching.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "She's waiting for you," his wife said. "Go to her."  
  
Â Â Â Â  "No, you're my wife, and I'll never leave you. I lost you already, and I can't bear to lose you again," he declared.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "We will meet again here," she promised. "We will."  
  
Â Â Â Â  "Why don't you come back with me?" He had hope in his eyes.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "No. There has been too much damage to my earthly body. I would only come back as a ghost." She, too, had hope in her eyes. "I will always be with you in your heart. When you die many years from now, we will be reunited once again." Then she gently pushed him toward to the doorway.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "But what about our son? I have to say goodbye to him," he started to say, but she hushed him.  
  
Â Â Â Â  "Don't worry. He is much older now. He will understand," she assured him.  
  
Â Â Â Â  Then Maximus, the heroic gladiator, stroked her raven, silky hair one last time and gave her the greatest kiss ever.  
  
Â Â Â Â  She pulled lightly away and motioned for him to go ahead. Maximus gave her one last look . . . and walked into the doorway, his broad figure a shadow. 


End file.
